Mic Comparison: SM57, EV757, 4033, 4050, C1, NTK, 460B

the best acoustic sound I ever heard ever was from someone on this board, I forget who, who was using a pair of earthworks qtc1's

MAN they sounded sweet. I dont doubt that the guitar added to it though. It sounded like it cost $5000

I have also like the ntk and the c1 on guitar.

The 4033 simply rocks on amp though.
 
Gidge said:
I dont know that id reach for ANY of those mics for acoustic or put them 12 inches out in front of the sound hole so i am not gonna listen to the clips.....
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this wasn't meant to be the Be-all End-all of mic selections for acoustic guitar...in fact it wasn't meant to demonstrate proper micing techniques for acoustic guitar nor for rating the mics. i stated as much in my description. i only did this to see how differently they all handled the situation and i was surprised how some mics handled the mic positioning. if you'll take a listen you may come away with just a tid-bit more insight...maybe not.

i generally learn just as much from doing things the wrong way as i do from doing them the right way.

but, thanks for taking the time to let me know you're not taking the time... :confused: :)
 
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alanhyatt said:
Before you go buying microphones, just remember this test is nothing more than a fun thing to mess around with. This will give absolutly no indication of how any of these mics, including mine will perform for you in your situation.

Sonixx did a good job as did Bruce on his test, but this is all for fun...it does not mean you will get a sound just like the one you heard buy buying the mic you choose. So just keep that all in mind...
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I agree 100%! This is as subjective as my shootout... and is really meaningful as a comparison only to Sonixx (in this case), see he has heard the actual context.

This is NOT gospel on which mic to get... more like subjective examples.

Bruce
 
Well... at least you guys are consistent! You're giving Sonixx the same flack you did to me! ;)

Please take these shoot-out things in the spirit they were intended.... I'm pretty sure Sonixx has similar ground rules on his samples as I did with mine!

Bruce
 
I've just downloaded clip one, and, I just thought I'd say to Sonixx: great work. That clip was well played, well recorded, and a beautiful piece of music. I'll give my guesses after I download them all and give a listen.
 
Bruce,

It doesn't matter how much effort you go to, how well intentioned you may be or how impartial you may be when doing this type of thing, there are always a few "sorry" souls ( or should I have said "assholes") who will take exception to it.
I don't know whether they are just "upping" their post count or just like to voice their usually misguided opinions..........it's just a pity that they wont get off their arses and do some experimenting themselves.

:cool:
 
ausrock, i can almost feel that was pointed at me, but thats ok....i still got love for ya......

i believe if you do a mic shootout, let it be a reflection of what you are gonna use the mics for....when i see that bundle of mics sitting there, i would much rather hear a vocal clip, and maybe from 3 different distances......

im not dissing the dude from doing it...maybe some people got something out of it.....i just mentioned that for me, its not the mics id choose or the positioning id use on an acoustic.....

as for doing any mic shootouts myself, i dont think i have the acoustical environment, quality preamps, access to mics to do one that would do anyone any justice.....
 
Gidge said:
when i see that bundle of mics sitting there, i would much rather hear a vocal clip, and maybe from 3 different distances......
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It is almost impossible to do a mic shootout for vocal or instruments. Even if you tried to do one, the variables of impedance come into play as does other variables so no matter what you do, you will never match up the load factors or proper placement of each mic, so you can never really do a proper shootout. This is why I only used Studio Projects mics for our Sessions CD. We do let you hear the loading differences by not using another mic, so you can hear the variables of the mic pres and how they affect the mic.

You can call these comparisons but the one that loads best to the mic preamp, and works best that day in the surrounding variables like the room, and other factors, will sound better. Like Bruce said...on that day using that mic for that guitar at that moment for that mic pre... All I am saying and this includes my mics is don't rush out to buy what you think is the winner because it probably is not, no matter who's mic it is.

Alan Hyatt
 
To Alan Hyatt

Hello Alanhyatt, As this recording is, which of the 7 guitar sounds do you prefer? Which one would you pick if this is all you had to pick from. I'm not asking you to pick a mike, but a guitar sound you most prefer from these examples. I know this may be putting you on the spot but I am trying to learn what others ( especially experienced people in this field ) consider most acceptable. Thanks, Don
 
Gidge,

Sorry 'bout that, but it wasn't aimed at anyone in particular........I guess I'm just showing my frustrations at how some people respond to these "shoot-outs".....what a stupid f####ng term.

When I did a comparison earlier last year, everything we could think of to give each mic a level playing field was done, from using a close cluster to using individual mics in identical positions, etc. It was a blind test, so I was the only person who knew which mic was on which channel and the resulting comments I posted were based on the response of other people to the recordings.........it was that simple, no big deal........OR SO I THOUGHT!!!

So, whenever I see one of these "shoot-outs" surface here I tend to cringe, waiting for the crap to hit the fan and with the knowledge (from experience) that they really mean diddly-squat to anyone other than the person doing it at the time.


:cool:
 
shootouts dont mean diddly squat?

regardless of all variables, you still get an idea what mics sound like and can base a buying decision on that.

If shootouts meant nothing, including the one you do in the store, then you might as well believe that no matter what is done, or what you hear, that mic is going to sound different when you take it home, so save your self some time, blindfold yourself, open the mic page in sweetwater catalog and just point to a random mic and Buy it,

or better yet,

since the shootouts mean nothing just buy the cheapest condensers and dynamics on the market and be happy forever.
 
CJ,

You should NOT base a purchase decision on these online "shootouts", by all means, use them to narrow the field of mics you may want to consider BUT they shouldn't be taken as any more than that!

BTW, you have just given a perfect example of how a post can be interpreted totally out of context. Congratulations.

:cool:
 
ausrock,

I was not replying to your post. I get the context you are trying to get across,even if its a bit vague :D

I am also not looking at it in terms of shootouts. I am looking at it in terms of comparison.

Some people seem to want to disregard the validity and usefulness of the shootouts and that is not right. If I had discarded "shakestheclown"'s excellent music as being his room and his voice, I would never have bought a joemeek vc6q, but it turned out that what I heard on shakes music is what I got when I brought the preamp home.

A comparison like this is just as valid as you someone going to a music store, picking out some mics and recording the results for listening when he gets back home. You WILL be able to tell which mic of the bunch you like the most and feel like plunking down for, or youll realize that you dont like any of the mics and do some more testing. How hard is that, or how much science needs to be applied?.

How much science do you need before you can purchase a darn mic.?

As joemeek said, "if it sounds good, its good" Those are words of wisdom. I am not factoring minute variables that cant be controlled in the real world anyhow.
 
I completely agree. Yes, if you changed the positioning of the mics etc.. then you would a get a different sound, but it's just a nice simlpe way to get a flavour of the different mics. After listening to a couple of these "shootouts" (stupid term) I'm getting an idea of the basic sort of sound that you can expect from each one. It's just as valid as me going down a shop a performing the same sort of test for my own ears.

If you don't like these tests, don't listen to them, and just ignore them. It's as simple as that. Nobody is proclaiming that they are the definitive mic guide or something.... :rolleyes:

....why do I get the feeling I'll be posting something similar the next time there's a "shootout" :)
 
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my guesses:

here's what I think:

#1 => 4033
#2 => 4050
#3 => N/D757
#4 => SM57
#5 => C1
#6 => NTK
#7 => 460

thanks a lot for your effort - looking foward to hearing the results.

mig
 
i really appreciate those that participated and followed the directions...thanks a lot... :D

this is amazing...all i did was record my guitar with some of my mics all positioned in front of the mic...and then i ask for you guys to match up the mics...i thought this may be fun...i guess not for some... :confused:

i wish some of the nay-sayers would move some of that negative energy over and listen and participate instead of just giving flack...and i mean this in the nicest way...:) :) :) :) :) i like debate and i can take criticism, but it would be nice if we were debating the sonic differences of the mics or debating the methods that i used or whatever...instead of this...
 
cominginsecond said:
I've just downloaded clip one, and, I just thought I'd say to Sonixx: great work. That clip was well played, well recorded, and a beautiful piece of music. I'll give my guesses after I download them all and give a listen.
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thanks a lot...i really appreciate the kind words...
 
Re: To Alan Hyatt

alba359 said:
Hello Alanhyatt, As this recording is, which of the 7 guitar sounds do you prefer? Which one would you pick if this is all you had to pick from. I'm not asking you to pick a mike, but a guitar sound you most prefer from these examples. I know this may be putting you on the spot but I am trying to learn what others ( especially experienced people in this field ) consider most acceptable. Thanks, Don
Click to expand...

I would not listen to any of them. Bash me if you want, but I have no clue how he did these, or for that fact if the mic he says he used was actually used. How do I know if he used the same mic on all the tracks and changed some EQ...No offense to Sonixx, and I don't mean to imply he is screwing with you on this, but I know nothing of what he did, because I was not there. If you feel you get an understanding of the mics as a result of this...fine, I don't care if the C1 is the winner, or loser. I know audio, and as such, I know these tests don't work.

I will from now on refrain to post my feelings on all future comparisons threads, and let you guys buy what you wish to buy as a result of these tests. I hope they work for you.

Alan Hyatt
PMI Audio Group
 
Re: To Alan Hyatt

alanhyatt said:

I would not listen to any of them. Bash me if you want, but I have no clue how he did these, or for that fact if the mic he says he used was actually used. How do I know if he used the same mic on all the tracks and changed some EQ...No offense to Sonixx, and I don't mean to imply he is screwing with you on this, but I know nothing of what he did, because I was not there. If you feel you get an understanding of the mics as a result of this...fine, I don't care if the C1 is the winner, or loser. I know audio, and as such, I know these tests don't work.
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Don't work for what? From what sonixx says, it just a little game. A "guess the mic" game. Yes, you can look at the performance of the different mics, but that's not the point of the exercise.

Why would Sonixx change the eq or something? It would be a bit strange of him to play a guess the mic game, but then change around all the samples so no-one got it right....yeah, I can just see him chuckling at home now - "the fools, they think they can guess which mic is which, but little did they know that I've mucked around with the eq...mooohhahhahhaha!!!!"

Seems like you take it all a bit too seriously. It's just a bit of fun. So, go on. Have a guess. Play the game. You know you want to! :)

...but then as you're involved with one of the makes, I can understand why you wouldn't want to.
 
My reasons for not getting involved in these comparisons are a little less inflamatory than Alan's reasons, but valid, at least, to me:

A mic doesn't know or care what it's recording.

Some mics do a better job than others on some things, sometimes.

Every mic will impart its own coloration to the sound.

Slight position changes can have a big impact on the sound.

What sounds good by itself may not sound best in the mix.

The mic that works "best" may not work "best" in another song.

Sometimes, any mic you choose will work just fine.

Unless a mic has an objectionable peak or weird response curve (which might not make it very useful for me to keep around), I find myself mentally filing a particular mic sound away, to try later, when I might want that unique sound. These shootouts are interesting to me primarily to hear how people react to them.

Hearing someone say, "Wow, I love #3" only means that they're hearing a combination that they would find useful, IF they had the exact same source, recorded under the exact same conditions. What they're really hearing is how well that microphone complimented that particular source under those recording conditions.

If that's the sound I'm looking for, my first instinct would be to have the person who recorded the sample do the track. Failing that, I would try to match the signal chain and recording conditions as close as possible with my own gear. If that didn't work, I would start dragging out mics and sources that I think might be able to approximate the sound I wanted.

To me, it's not about which mic is "best" - it's about what combination of mic (and source) will fit a particular mix "best". When I record, I try to leave my "preconceptions" at the door, as to what will work and what won't work, especially when it comes to guitars and vocals.

I'll throw up what I think will work, then switch from there. Sometimes I get it right on the first choice, other times, I'm "less" right. It might be a $2,500 mic that works "best", or it might be a cheapie that someone gave me for free. Ireally don't care what I wind up using - as long as I get the sound I want.

My $0.02
 
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